Community development is a key concern of public health and a central
focus of the MPH in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP)
curriculum. Our community development blocks, which occur in both the first and
second year of COPHP, introduce students to the challenges of working with
communities on issues related to health. These blocks are intense for faculty and
students alike because they must cover in a short period a broad range of material that
spans sociology, organizational theory, epidemiology, and psychology. They also
require students to make quick connections between a growing body of research
literature and real word community challenges; entail organizing and conducting
fieldwork with community partners; and expose students to provocative ideas and
norms. The COPHP program has achieved considerable success with its community
development blocks in meeting learning objectives that address issues such as defining
and applying a true concept of community in a variety of settings; recognizing
communities’ assets and problems; describing approaches to getting things done at the
community level and assembling a team to do them; and completing strong written
assignments on tight deadlines. Through the community development blocks and
student projects, the COPHP program has built enduring connections with community
partners and has helped address local challenges ranging from securing housing and
health services for homeless youth to accommodating the needs of recent immigrants in
disaster preparedness.
Keywords: Cognitive distortions, Communications skills, Community, Community
assets, Community based participatory research, Community development,
Community organizing, Community partners, Practical applications of theory,
Project planning, Public health practice, Student presentations.
